Question:

What does the term 'existential' mean to you?

Rooster/Blaster on Existential.com - 2007-03-08 09:25:55 - Philosophy

In popular culture from time to time, I have heard the word 'existential' or 'existentialism' used seemingly without a true metaphysical understanding of what it meant. But even though I have investigated a little bit into the meaning of existential philosophy, I still do not know what it means. Very similarly, I don't know what 'philosophy' means, either. These matters are complex, are they not? It's hard to explicate such grand ideas with a language that has barriers and obstructions. What I am curious to know is what most people think of when they hear 'existential' or 'existentialism' in ordinary every day life. Say, for example, a film is said to be 'existential'. Or someone's mood, peradventure. What does the word mean?

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It doesn't matter to you what I think it means.

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a philosophical attitude associated esp. with Heidegger, Jaspers, Marcel, and Sartre, and opposed to rationalism and empiricism, that stresses the individual's unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices.

It doesn't matter to you what I think it means.

a group of doctrone deriving from the philosophy kierkeeard which stress the importance of existence of the freedom and responsability of the finite human individual

I though I'd start the explaination with this quote which is important to understanding the philosophy. In Repetition, Kierkegaard's literary character Young Man laments: How did I get into the world? Why was I not asked about it, why was I not informed of the rules and regulations but just thrust into the ranks as if I had been bought by a peddling shanghaier of human beings? How did I get involved in this big enterprise called actuality? Why should I be involved? Isn't it a matter of choice? And if I am compelled to be involved, where is the manager—I have something to say about this. Is there no manager? To whom shall I make my complaint? Finding a way to counter this nothingness, by embracing existence, is the fundamental theme of existentialism. While someone who claims to believe in reality might be called a "realist," or someone who believes in a deity a "deist," someone who believes fundamentally only in existence, and seeks to find meaning in his life solely by embracing existence, is an existentialist.

yeah keep thinking you will learn